One-On-One with Parent Kat Robinson about Her Boys’ K12 Experience

Kat: When William was about to enter the first grade, a child brought a gun to school with the intent on hurting another child. It was at that point that I wanted another option.

Donna: What online tools have benefited your sons?

Kat: I discovered the Louvre museum in Paris has a virtual tour that can be experienced from the comfort of our home. We also use Google to search for pictures and websites that add dimension to projects the boys are learning online. We leverage an online encyclopedia because we do not own a set. We also use Amazon to order all necessary books the boys are required to read so we can have permanent copies for our own collection. For extra material, we use links provided in K12’s lessons to visit websites relating to the subject we are learning in more depth.

Donna: Do you feel that Ronan and William have been challenged academically at North Carolina Virtual Academy?

Kat: Absolutely! My husband’s grandfather was a teacher and he often comments on the boys’ education modules. All in all, he is extremely impressed and has recommended NCVA and K12 other families we know.

Donna: Has NCVA helped William and Ronan become stronger students? If so, how?

Kat: William is a natural student. Fortunately for him, he can breeze through the lessons intuitively. Several of his teachers have noticed his advanced academic skill and asked him to complete the extra credit assignments to add further depth to his education.

Ronan has struggled this year with his math. He has been put into a smaller group that meets more often so he can obtain more personalized and specific instruction to reinforce concepts and help him learn effectively at his own pace.

Donna: What has been your experience so far with NCVA?

Kat: It is an amazing school. We can say, with all enthusiasm, that NCVA is supportive and encouraging for their students and have the best interests of my boys at heart. They are focused on giving them the best education possible.

Donna: Do you feel NCVA’s teachers and staff provide sufficient support to you as a parent?

Kat: NCVA has provided tremendous family support. There are multiple programs to assist parents and learning coaches. There are hangouts, online, for the coaches as well as meet-and-greets. Each teacher is one email away and can also be reached by phone. Now that I am an experienced learning coach, I have even been asked to mentor other learning coaches. Not every parent is comfortable with online education. But once they get involved and see how amazing the program is, it is easy to become an advocate!

About The Author

Donna Savarese is Director of Corporate Communications and Public Relations for K12. Savarese also manages executive speechwriting and internal communications for the company. Previously, she served as a Senior Media Relations Manager within Lockheed Martin’s Worldwide Media Relations (WMR) department. She is a two-time Emmy Award-winning broadcast journalist and twice won the Edward R. Murrow Award for journalism while serving as the 6 pm nightly news anchor for five years at KMOV, the CBS affiliate in St. Louis, Missouri. Savarese is the recipient of seven Emmy nominations, including a nomination in Sports and as ‘Best On-Air Talent’.